Mail box with letter holder and visual signal mechanism



Jan. 19, 1965 A. LEUTHEUSER 3,166,241

MAIL BOX WITH LETTER HOLDER AND VISUAL sxcmu. uscx-muxsu Filed Aug. 15, 1962 F95. 5 INVENTOR.

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United States Patent 3,166,241 MAIL BOX WITH LETTER HOLDER AND VISUAL SIGNAL MEQHANISM Andrew Leutheuser, 4107 Estateway Road, Toledo 7, Ohio Filed Aug. 15, 1962, Ser. No. 217,177 3 Ciaims. (Cl. 232-44) This invention relates to mail boxes and more particularly to mail boxes that are used by farmers and .others having homes in the suburbs or country.

While there are many different types and shapes of mail 7 boxes, there is one particular type that is almost universally used by those having homes located some distance from the highway or road. These mail boxes are generally caled Rural Mail Boxes by reason of their location on rural mail routes or the like.

The rural mail box now in use lacks convenience and time saving features which are important to the postman and patron for outgoing and incoming mail.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a rural type of mail box that has positive operating mechanism to indicate to the postman that he has mail to pick up from the box. The patron might forget to raise the flag as now used on conventional boxes thus the postman would by-pass the box should he have no mail to leave, thus causing a delay of the mail.

Another object of this invention is to provide a rural type of mail box having positive acting mechanism to indicate to the owner when the postman has left mail in the same.

Another object of this invention is to provide a rural type of mail box that contains structure adapted to hold the mail in an upright position and therefore, permit the postman to remove the same with a minimum of effort and in a minimum of time.

Another object of this invention is to provide a rural type of mail box of the character described that can readily be constructed as the rural mail boxes now on public sale.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a rural type of mail box with a positive acting signaling mechanism having a minimum number of parts.

Other and further objects and advantages of this mail box will be hereinafter described, and the novel features thereof defined in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a pictorial view of the invention with the door removed and one side partly broken away to better show the signaling mechanism.

FIGURE 2 is a side view of this invention partly broken open to better show the signaling mechanism set to show that mail has been delivered.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view of this invention taken substantially along line 33 of FIGURE 1 as viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows. This view shows mail in the box waiting to be picked up by the postman and the signal set to indicate the same.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawing.

Having reference now to the drawing in detail, there is generally indicated by the character 7 a typical rural mail box embodying a bottom 8, a top 9, and sides 10 and 11. The top and sides are usually formed from one sheet of metal, generally galvanized iron, or aluminum, the materials from which most rural mail boxes are manufactured. The box, of course, also has a back 12 and a door 13 having a hinge 14 secured to the aforesaid bottom 8 as clearly shown in FIGURES 2 and 3 of the appended drawing.

A mail supporting plate 15 is located within the mail box. The plate has the same plan form as the aforesaid bottom 8 and is slightly smaller in size than the bottom ice thereby permitting longitudinal motion as will hereinafter be described in telling exactly how the signaling mechanism of this novel mail box functions. The aforesaid mail supporting plate 15 is provided with an elongated opening 16 through which projects the yoke 17 which has the basic configuration of an inverted letter U whose ends terminate in front supporting members 18 and 19. The aforesaid members 18 and 19are at right angles to the just described yoke 17. The supporting member 18 has its outer end rotatably projecting through an opening in the side 10 of the mail box 7 while the outer end of the supporting member 19 has its outer end rotatably projecting through an opening in the opposite side 11 as clearly shown in FIGURE 1 of the appended drawing.

A rigid flag 22, preferably rectangular in plan form and red in color, is secured to the outer end of the rod 23 that is an external extension of the aforesaid front supporting member 19 to which it is at right angle. The flag 22, of course, is located on the right side of the mail box adjacent to the aforesaid side 11 of this novel invention, which is standard to conform with Post Ofiice Department Regulation.

A second rigid flag 24, similar to the aforesaid flag 22 except that it is yellow in color, is located on the outer end of the rod 25 that is secured to the outwardly projecting end of the supporting rod 21 that is rotatably supported by the side 10 of this invention. The securement of the lower end of rod 25 to rod 21 is by means of a fitting 26 that is best shown in FIGURE 1 of the appended drawing where it is also seen that the surface of the aforesaid rigid flag 22 is parallel to the side 11 of the mail box while the surface of the aforesaid flag 24 is at right angle to the side 10 of the invention of a rural mail box. The flag 22 is parallel to the mail box 7 in order to comply with Postal Regulations, and to provide a signal to be visible to the postman on the road while the fiag 24 is best visible to the home when set at right angle at the rear left side of the box for positive information to the patron that mail was left by the postman.

The construction of this newly invented mail box has now been described and its operation is obvious from examination of the appended drawing where it is clearly shown in FIGURE 2 that the postman merely places any letters or other mail for the owner of the box in the box on the mail supporting plate 15 which he, the postman, gives a slight forward push with his hand. This forward movement causes the back end 15 of the aforesaid mail supporting plate to rotate the supporting rod 21 which by reason of its downwardly and outwardly bent supporting ends is in effect a rocker to swing the yellow flag 24 into a vertical position. The supporting rod is secured to the underside of the aforesaid mail supporting plate by passing through a pair of spaced screw eyes 27 or similar fastenings.

When the mail 28 (FIGURE 2) is removed from the mail box 7, the yellow flag 24 is returned to horizontal position which also returns plate 15 to the forward position of FIG. 1 and is ready for next mail delivery.

Whenever mail is left for the postman to pick up, one has only to open the mail box 7 and rotate the red flag 22 to a vertical position thereby causing the yoke 17 to swing up to vertical position through the elongated opening 16 in the front portion of the mail supporting plate 15. The mail 29 is now placed between the two sides of the aforesaid yoke 17. Any excess mail which will not go between the sides of yoke 17, can be leaned against a side or the sides of the yoke for easy removal by the postman. The lower edge of the mail will rest on the upper surface of the mail supporting plate 15 while the top edge of the mail will rest against the underside of the bridge portion 30 of the aforesaid yoke 17 thereby preventing the yoke from dropping back to the horizontal drawings. A single piece ofmail placed in this position a 'will hold red flag 22 in raised position informing the postman that mail is to be picked up. The moment the postman removes the mail 29, the yoke drops below plate and thus does not obstruct placing incoming mail in the box and the red flag 22 drops automatically instead of having to be dropped manually bythe postman as is necessary with rural mail boxes now in use.

From the foregoing it will now be seen that there is herein provided a mail box which accomplishes all of the objects of this invention, and others, including many advantages of great practical utility and commercial importance.

As many embodiments may be made of this inventive concept, and as many modifications may be made in the v embodiment hereinbefore shown and described, it will be understood that all matter herein is to be interpreted merely as illustrative, and not in a limiting sense.

In accordance with the provisions of the United States Patent Statutes, as stated in the United States Code Title 35, Patents, I have now described the principle of construction and operation of my invention of a mail box in the form which I personally consider the best embodiment thereof, and what I now claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A mail box of the character described, comprising a typical rural mail box having a mail supporting plate mounted therein, tructure near the front of the said plate adapted to hold mail placed within the said mail box in a vertical position, visual signal mechanism secured to the said mail box and said structure to indicate to the postman that mail has been placed in the said box for him, and a second set of signal mechanism secured to said supporting plate to give the owner of the said mail box a visual signal when the po tman has placed mail in the box for him. 1

2. A mail box of the character described, comprising a typical rural mail box rectangular in plan form having a mail supporting plate mounted therein, structure near the front of the said plate adapted to hold mail placed within the said mail box in a vertical position, said structure embodying a yoke having the basic configuration of an inverted letter U whose ends terminate at right angles to the body of the said yoke and extend outwardly through each side of the said mail box, the body of the said yoke being able to swing upward through an elongated opening in the said mail supporting plate which rests in part on the said ends of the said yoke through which mail is placed for the postman, and visual signal mechanism secured to the said yoke to indicate to the postman that mail has been placed in the said box for him, and a second set of signal mechanism: secured to said supporting plate to give the owner of the said mail box a visual signal when the postman has placed mail in the box for him.

3. A mail box of the character described, comprising a typical rural mail box rectangular in plan form having a mail supporting plate mounted therein, structure near the front of the said plate adapted to hold mail placed within the said mail box in a vertical position, said structure embodying a yoke having the basic configuration of an inverted letter U Whose ends terminate at right angle to the body of the said yoke and extend outwardly through each side of the said mail box, the body of the said yoke being able to swing upward through an elongated opening in the saidmail supporting plate which rests in part on the said ends of the said yoke through which mail is placed for the postman, and visual signal mechanism secured to the said yoke to indicate to the postman that mail has been placed in the said box for him, the said visual signal mechanism being secured to the upper end of a rod that is located on the outside of the said mail box the lower end of the said rod being at right angle to one outwardly'extending end of the said yoke, and a second set of signal mechanism secured to said supporting plate to give the owner of the said mail box a visual signal when the postman has placed mail in the box for him, the said second set of signal mechanism being secured to the upper end of a rod that has it lower end secured to a fitting on one end of a supporting rod that projectsout through the sides of the said mail box, the said rod being in the form of a rocker that supports the back end of the said mail supporting plate above the bottom of the said mail box.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,123,647 '1/15 Ackman 232-34 1,195,016 8/16 Hillman 232-34 1,298,345 3/19 Johnson 232-34 2,002,423 5/35 Wade 232-34 2,576,964 12/51 Olson 232-33 FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner. 

1. A MAIL BOX OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED, COMPRISING A TYPICAL RURAL MAIL BOX HAVING A MAIL SUPPORTING PLANE MOUNTED THEREIN, STRUCTURE NEAR THE FRONT OF THE SAID PLATE ADAPTED TO HOLD MAIL PLACED WITHIN THE SAID MAIL BOX IN A VERTICAL POSITION, VISUAL SIGNAL MECHANISM SECURED TO THE SAID MAIL BOX AND SAID STRUCTURE TO INDICATE TO THE POSTMAN THAT MAIL HAS BEEN PLACED IN THE SAID BOX FOR HIM, AND A SECOND SET OF SIGNAL MECHANISM SECURED TO SAID SUPPORTING PLATE TO GIVE THE OWNER OF THE SAID MAIL BOX A VISUAL SIGNAL WHEN THE POSTMAN HAS PLACED MAIL IN THE BOX FOR HIM. 